Daddy Hutch
by Sparkle731
Summary: Hutch experiences first hand the trials of fatherhood, just not quite the way he had expected to. Story is now complete
1. Chapter 1

**DADDY HUTCH**

**Hutch experiences first hand the trials of fatherhood, just not quite the way he had****expected to.**

**A/N: After the dark themes of some of my more recent stories, I thought you might enjoy something a bit lighter.**

**Beta read by Megan**

**CHAPTER ONE**

Detective Kenneth Hutchinson climbed out of the shower and grabbed a towel to dry off. His usual morning run had taken longer then usual and he was running late. It was his partner's turn to drive, so he wasn't overly concerned about his own tardiness. Starsky was usually late himself. Wrapping the towel snuggly around his waist, Hutch finished his morning routine and then went into his bedroom to dress. Opening his closet, he pulled out a pair of sharply creased tan slacks and a button down cream colored shirt. The partners were scheduled to testify in court later that morning so he took more care than usual in choosing his attire for the day.

Once he had finished dressing he slipped on his shoulder harness with his gun nestled snugly in the holster. Adjusting the holster so that the gun rested comfortably under his left arm, he slipped on a tan leather jacket to conceal the weapon. Pulling his pocket watch out of his pocket, he checked the time. Starsky was due any minute.

The ringing of the telephone shattered the early morning silence. Grabbing up the receiver, Hutch warned, "This better not be you, Gordo."

Instead of his partner's familiar voice telling him that he was running late, the deep gruff voice of his commanding officer, Captain Harold Dobey, growled in his ear,

"Hutch, it's Dobey. Starsky's been in an accident and is being taken to West Side Memorial. ETA is ten minutes."

"I'm on my way." Hutch said, hanging up the phone without bothering to say goodbye. He dug his car keys out of his pocket as he rushed out the door. Climbing into his battered and dented LTD, he jammed the key into the ignition. He cursed under his breath when the engine sputtered and backfired before finally starting. After a quick glance in his rear view mirror, he pulled out into the early morning flow of traffic. Reaching down with one hand, while steering the car with the other, he grabbed the red bubble light and slapped it on top of the roof, then turned on the siren to help clear the way.

Fifteen minutes later, he pulled into the emergency entrance to the hospital and slammed the car into gear as he parked at the curb. Jumping out of his car, he pushed his way through the front doors, his eyes automatically scanning the crowded waiting room until he spotted the heavyset black man sitting in one of the hard plastic chairs.

"How he is? Is he okay? What happened?" Hutch demanded without pausing for a breath as he approached his Captain.

Dobey held up one pudgy hand to halt Hutch's onslaught of questions and said,

"The doctors are with him now. He was on Lincoln Avenue and Marshall when some drunk ran a red light and broadsided him. The paramedics said that it looks like he was thrown forward by the impact and his head hit the windshield. He was unconscious at the scene."

"But, he's going to be okay. Right?" Hutch repeated anxiously. The two men weren't just partners on the police force, they were also best friends. The unique bond that they shared was well known among their colleagues. They weren't just the best team of detectives on the force, they operated as a single unit, almost as if they were two halves of the same whole, sharing two separate bodies and personalities.

"Just calm down and have a seat." Dobey ordered the worried blond. "I'm sure the doctors will tell us as soon as they have any news." He knew from past experience that Hutch was too upset to heed his suggestion and would soon be pacing the floor as he waited for news about Starsky.

"I've warned him before about the way he drives." Hutch mumbled as he sank into the chair beside Dobey, taking a deep breath to try and calm his racing heart.

"It wasn't his fault. He had the right of way." Dobey said, "The other driver was so drunk that he didn't even know that he'd hit somebody."

The two men settled in for a long wait. They were both painfully familiar with hospital procedures. With a possible head injury, Starsky would receive a series of X-rays and be examined closely for any other injuries from the accident. Starsky and Hutch had spent more then their fair share of time in hospital emergency rooms over the years due to job related injuries. But, the waiting was never easy for the uninjured partner as he waited for news on his friend's condition.

Unable to sit still, it wasn't long before Hutch stood up and started pacing the floor. Every time a doctor stepped into the room, he stopped and looked at them anxiously, resuming his restless pacing when they called someone else's name besides the one that he wanted to hear. A hapless nurse looked startled when he cornered her at the desk and growled,

"Can you tell me what's going on with David Starsky? He was in a car accident and nobody's told us anything."

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm sure that someone will be out and tell you something soon." She said, speaking calmly to try and pacify the obviously distraught blond. She slipped away to tend to her other duties, leaving Hutch no choice but to continue his pacing.

Finally, after almost four hours of waiting, a doctor stepped into the waiting room and said, "Family for David Starsky?"

Hutch immediately advanced on the doctor, followed closely by Captain Dobey.

"How is he? Is he okay?" Hutch demanded before the doctor had a chance to speak.

The doctor looked at the burly black man and the tall blond with a frown. Neither one of them bore any resemblance to his patient. "Are you here for Mr. Starsky?" He asked cautiously.

"Detective Starsky." Hutch immediately clarified. "I'm his partner and this is our Captain. Is he okay? Can I see him?"

"I'm not authorized to discuss the patient's condition with anyone but his immediate family without his consent." The doctor said calmly.

"I have his signed medical power of attorney." Hutch countered in a tone that warned the doctor not to push it too far. "So you'd better tell me something before I go back there and find out for myself!"

One look at the determined look on Hutch's face was enough to convince the doctor the wisdom of doing what he said. "Very well. But, I want a copy of that consent put in his file." He looked from one grim face to the other and then continued, "Detective Starsky suffered a significant head injury in the accident from blunt force trauma to the skull. There's no skull fracture, but he did suffered some minor bleeding and swelling of the brain. He's still unconscious and until he wakes up, we won't be able to fully determine his mental status, although his vital signs and reflexes all appear to be normal."

"Were there any other injuries?" Captain Dobey asked.

"Just a few minor cuts and bruises. He was a very lucky man. It could have been a lot worse." The doctor informed him somberly.

"Can I see him? Where is he?" Hutch asked anxiously.

"I told you that he is still unconscious and probably will be for several hours yet. I'd suggest that you come back this evening."

"I want to see him now!" Hutch said, raising his voice slightly and taking a step closer to the doctor, intruding on his personal space.

"Doctor," Dobey said, gently resting a hand on Hutch's shoulder to keep him from doing the doctor bodily harm. "I would strongly suggest that you allow Detective Hutchinson to see his partner. I guarantee you that Detective Starsky will regain consciousness much quicker if Hutch is with him."

"It's highly unusual…" The doctor said cautiously, eyeing the big blond nervously. He appeared to be dangerously close to the edge and the doctor wisely chose not to take any unnecessary chances. "But, I'll allow it. They should be taking your friend up to his room shortly. He'll be in room 616."

That was all Hutch needed to know. He turned on his heel and strode towards the elevator with long, determined steps. The doctor looked at Captain Dobey and said dryly, "Is he always this intense?"

"Only when it comes to his partner." Dobey replied with a thin smile. The doctor grunted and turned to return to his duties in the emergency room.

Hutch took the elevator to the sixth floor and walked down the hall until he found room 616. The bed was still empty, so Hutch settled down in the chair sitting beside it to wait. Ten minutes later, two attendants entered the room, pushing a gurney with an unconscious Starsky lying on it. Hutch watched as the two men carefully lifted Starsky onto the bed, adjusting the pillow beneath his head, then covering his legs and lower body with the sheet.

As soon as the attendants left the room, leaving the two friends alone, Hutch examined Starsky closely, making his own assessment of the brunet's injuries. There was a bruise on his left cheekbone and that eye was black and blue. There were several scrapes and cuts on both arms and on his hands, probably from broken glass. A thick white bandage covered the dark curls on the right side of his head, apparently the point of impact with the windshield. He appeared to be breathing normally, his chest falling and rising slowly in a comforting rhythm.

Satisfied that Starsky appeared not to be more seriously injured than the doctor had implied, Hutch reached out and covered the brunet's left hand with his own larger one. "Hey, buddy…" he said in that soft, velvety voice that he reserved solely for Starsky whenever he was hurt or sick. "What are you trying to do, huh? Make me lose my hair faster than I already am?" He smiled fondly at the unconscious man on the bed. Starsky constantly teased Hutch about his baby fine blond hair which was already starting to get thin on top. Starsky would probably still have all of his thick dark curls even when he was eighty years old. "You gonna open your eyes for me? Let me see those baby blues?"

Starsky didn't respond but Hutch wasn't concerned, not yet. Both men had suffered serious head injuries in the past and Hutch knew it could take a while for Starsky to wake up just like the doctor had said. He continued to talk to him in soft, soothing tones, trying to coax him up out of the darkness.

It was early evening before Hutch noticed the slight twitching of Starsky's cheek and the lazy movement of his eyes beneath his closed lids. "Come on, buddy…" Hutch coaxed him gently, "Open your eyes for me." As if he was programmed to respond to Hutch's request, Starsky opened his eyes just far enough for Hutch to see a sliver of sapphire blue. "Come on, Starsky…it's time to wake up now."

Responding solely to the sound of his partner's voice, Starsky struggled to open his eyes the rest of the way. He looked around the room, his eyes confused and frightened, apparently still disoriented. Finally, his gaze focused on Hutch's face. In a shy, scared voice, he whimpered,

"Who are you? Where's my Pop?" Tears welled up in his eyes. "I want my mommy and daddy…"


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

Hutch looked at the doctor in dismay. "What do you mean he thinks he's six years old?" He said in a startled voice, after listening to the doctor's assessment of Starsky's mental status.

"Just what I said. Detective Starsky's head injury has apparently caused him to revert to his childhood. I'm sure that it's only temporary but we won't know that for sure until the swelling in his brain goes down."

"How long will that take?"

"It could be a few days…it could be a couple of weeks. There's no way of knowing for sure. In the meantime, he's going to need to be monitored carefully and watched. In his mind, he thinks he's only six years old, so he's going to act accordingly."

"Great…so in other words, until he recovers, I've got a big overgrown kid on my hands." Hutch said, with amused chuckle. Even as an adult, Starsky had retained a certain childish enthusiasm and behavior that survived at times, especially around Christmas time. How hard could it be to deal with that same behavior on a daily basis for a few days? It was a side of Starsky that Hutch enjoyed being around. "Can I take him home?"

"I don't see why not. He's recovering well from his injuries. There's no need to keep him in the hospital. I'll get his release papers ready and you can take him home in a couple of hours."

"I'll be in his room." Hutch said, rising gracefully to his feet and leaving to return to his partner's side. Back in Starsky's room, he found the brunet busy coloring a picture in a coloring book that one of the nurse's had gotten for him from the children's ward. When he saw Hutch, Starsky's eyes lit up and he said happily, sounding pleased with himself, "Look! I stayed inside all the lines just like a big boy."

"You sure did." Hutch said, with a grin, as he solemnly examined the picture. He wasn't surprised to see that it was a picture of a car and that Starsky had colored it red.

To ease the brunet's frightened mind, Hutch had told him that he was a friend of the family and that he was watching Starsky while his parents and younger brother, Nicky, were away for a few days. It was an explanation that seemed to satisfy the brunet and he had readily accepted Hutch as his temporary guardian and caregiver. "That's a nice looking car."

"It sure is." Starsky said solemnly. "I'm gonna have me a nice car like that when I grow up. A red one."

"I bet you will." Hutch said, chuckling as he thought about Starsky's vehicle, a candy apple red Torino with a foot wide racing stripe. It had been badly damaged in the accident and Hutch had arranged to have it repaired. It would be stored at Merle's garage until Starsky recovered and could reclaim it.

Bored with coloring, Starsky laid the book aside and looked at Hutch almost shyly. "When can I go home?"

"I just talked to the doctor and he said I could take you home in a couple of hours." Hutch told him.

"Are Maw and Pop back yet?" Starsky asked hopefully.

"No, not yet. You're going to come home with me for a few days." Hutch told him. "That's okay, isn't it?"

"I guess so…" Starsky said slowly, sounding unsure of himself, a trait totally unlike the normally confident and self assured man. "Can I have ice cream?"

"You bet. We'll stop at the store and buy some on the way home." Hutch promised.

"Goody! I want chocolate chip with chocolate syrup and whipped cream." Starsky said, clapping his hands. "And cherries on top."

Hutch smothered a laugh at his partner's childish antics. He had a feeling that he was about to experience first hand just what Starsky had been like at that age, before his father's tragic death when he was twelve years old had changed his life forever.

Starsky yawned and laid down, curling up with his pillow cradled in his arms. "I'm sleepy…" He said "I'm gonna take a nap."

"Go ahead, buddy. I'll wake you up when it's time to go." Hutch said affectionately, watching as Starsky's eyes drifted shut and he sank into a peaceful slumber. The doctor had warned him that, due to the head injury, Starsky would get tired easily and probably sleep more than usual. For the next two hours, Hutch sat in the chair, quietly reading the newspaper, and watching over his partner while he slept.

When the nurse came in with Starsky's discharge papers and told Hutch that he could take the brunet home, he thanked her and then gently shook Starsky's shoulder.

"Wake up, sleepy head." He said softly "It's time to go home."

Starsky's eyes opened almost immediately and he sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "Let's go." He said enthusiastically, as he climbed out of bed.

"You might want to get dressed first." Hutch reminded him with a laugh as Starsky's hospital gown flipped open in the back and gave the blond a flash of Starsky's bare backside.

"Oh, yeah…okay…" Starsky said in an embarrassed voice as Hutch walked over to the closet to retrieve the clean clothes he had asked Huggy Bear to bring to the hospital that morning for Starsky to wear home. He handed the clothes to the brunet and watched as Starsky quickly pulled on the faded jeans and equally faded tee shirt. He slipped his favorite Adidas running shoes on his feet without bothering to tie them and looked at Hutch hopefully. "Now can we go home?"

"As soon as you tie your shoes before you trip over one of the strings." Hutch told him, hiding a tolerant smile.

Starsky looked at Hutch with a pout and whined "I can't…I don't know how…" he looked at Hutch hopefully. "Can you teach me?"

"Sure, buddy." Hutch said with a grin. He knelt down and deftly tied his partner's shoes tightly, doubling knotting them so they wouldn't come undone. Starsky watched him intently. When he finished, the brunet cocked his head to one side and said,

"Pop was teaching me how to tie my shoes…" There was a wistful tone in his voice that went straight to Hutch's heart. "I miss Pop. I hope him and Ma get home soon."

"I'm sure they will be. Let's go, pal. Time to get out of here."

The brunet happily skipped out of the room ahead of Hutch, earning a grin from several of the nurses as he ran down the hallway and eagerly pushed the button for the elevator. Starsky glanced back over his shoulder as he waited for Hutch to catch up with him.

"See, I pushed the button for down. Is that right" He asked shyly, earning another grin from the big blond.

"You bet it is." Hutch told him as the doors slid open and the two friends stepped inside.

Outside, it was a beautiful California day. The sun was shining brightly, the temperature in the low eighties with a light breeze out of the north. As Hutch started to lead the way across the parking lot to where he had moved his car, Starsky reached out and grabbed his hand tightly. He looked at Hutch with a soft smile.

"Ma always makes me hold her hand when we go outside." He said

"That's good." Hutch said "That way you won't get hurt."

Starsky giggled. "Ma says it's so I won't run away."

"That too." Hutch said solemnly. "My car's over tan one…"

Starsky obediently skidded to a halt beside his partner. As the blond unlocked the car doors, Starsky cocked his head to one side and said, "Jeeze…is this your car? It looks like you need to get a new one pretty soon."

"This car suits me just fine." Hutch said as he slid under the wheel and leaned over to unlock the other door. "She's still got a lot of miles left in her." As Starsky climbed into the car, slouching in his seat and propping his feet against the dashboard, Hutch said, "Put your feet down on the floor and fasten your seatbelt."

"Okay…" Starsky whined as he reluctantly obeyed. "You sound just like Pop."

He fumbled with the seat belt, finally managing to latch the stubborn buckle that never wanted to catch right the first time.

As Hutch pulled out of the parking lot, Starsky turned on the radio, flipping aimlessly from channel to another, until Hutch reached over and turned it off. "Stop that." He said "It's annoying. If you're not going to listen to one channel than you don't need to listen to it at all."

"Okay…" Starsky said, his attention quickly diverted to the scenery passing by outside his window. "Wow! This sure doesn't look like home." He exclaimed. He threw Hutch a puzzled glance. "Where's Pop and Ma? Why did they go away and take Nicky but not me?"

"Because you were sick and couldn't go." Hutch said, thinking quickly to come up with a suitable excuse.

"I don't remember being sick." Starsky said with a frown. "I don't like being sick." He kicked the toe of his sneaker against the floor boards. "I hope they come home soon…I miss them."

"I know you do, buddy. But, hopefully they won't be gone long." Hutch said. He pulled into a small grocery near Starsky's apartment. He had decided it would be better to take the brunet to his own place so he could be in more familiar surroundings. Maybe something there would jog his memory. "Let's go get your ice cream." Starsky's eyes brightened when he remembered his promised treat. He jumped out the car and ran towards the store, laughing while he waited at the door for Hutch to catch up. "You stay with me, you understand?" Hutch told him as they walked into the busy store to begin shopping.

Hutch got an empty card and began pushing it down the aisle while Starsky skipped along beside him. Several customers shot an amused glance at the big blond and his skipping partner, looking away quickly when Hutch shot them a warning look in return. Hutch soon found himself occupied putting things back on the shelves that Starsky kept grabbing and throwing in the cart. By the time they finally made their way through the store, besides some basic staples and Starsky's promised ice cream, Starsky had also managed to talk the blond into buying him a big bag of potato chips, pretzels, Oreo cookies, and two different kinds of cereal, as well as a six pack of root beer.

As Starsky was helping put the sacks in the back seat of the car, he looked at Hutch and grinned. "Ma never lets me get so much junk." He said in a smug, satisfied voice, as if he had gotten away with something naughty. "She says it's not good for me."

"It's not." Hutch said, realizing that he had been conned by the wily brunet. "That's why most of it is getting put away when we get home and you can't have any without asking first."

Starsky looked crestfallen for a moment but his spirits quickly lifted as he climbed into the car. "Can we have hot dogs for supper?" He asked

"Sure…but you're going to eat a salad and all your vegetables too." Hutch insisted. Starsky stuck out his tongue and then turned his attention back to the passing scenery as they drove the rest of the way to Starsky's apartment.

When they pulled up in front of the little house on a quiet, residential street, Starsky opened his door and jumped out of the car. As he started to run up the steps to the deck, Hutch called him back.

"Hey, get back here and help carry in these groceries." He scolded the excited brunet.

"Okay." Starsky said obediently as he strolled back over to the blonde's side. "Then can I have some ice cream?"

"Not until after supper." Hutch told him, as he handed his friend one of the bags to carry into the house. The two men carried the groceries into the house and Starsky helped put them away. He didn't even notice that he knew where everything went and put it in its proper place without any prompting. But Hutch noticed and took it as a positive sign.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

By nine o'clock that evening, Hutch was ready to call it a day. Dealing with his exuberant friend could be exhausting under ordinary conditions but it was even more taxing when Starsky had the mind and behavior of a six year old. After supper, the brunet had immediately laid down on the floor in front of the TV, leaving the cleaning up to Hutch. By the time the blond had finished the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen, Starsky was already whining that he was bored and wasn't interested in anything on TV. Playing chess or monopoly were both out of the question since Starsky didn't have the attention span or the agile mind to play either one. Finally, he found a car magazine that held his interest for a couple of hours. While Hutch rested on the couch, Starsky flipped through the magazine, stopping frequently to show Hutch pictures of his favorite cars as he chattered away non-stop.

Finally, Hutch stood up and said, "It's time to get ready for bed."

"I don't wanna go to bed yet. It's too early." Starsky complained. "Can't I stay up just a little longer?"

"Not tonight." Hutch said firmly. "You wanna take a shower first?"

"No…" Starsky said, shaking his head stubbornly. "Don't need no bath. I just had one yesterday."

"You need to take a shower every day." Hutch said patiently.

"Do not. You do but not me." Starsky insisted.

"I'm not going to argue with you about this, pal. You're going to take a shower and that's final."

"You're mean." Starsky said with a pout, crossing his arms over his chest and sticking out his bottom lip childishly. "I don't like showers. Can I take a bath with lots of bubbles?"

"I suppose." Hutch said with a fond smile. "Come on and I'll run the water for you." With little experience of his own dealing with young children, Hutch had to rely on his instincts when it came to dealing with the unusual situation he found himself faced with. A somewhat reluctant Starsky trailed along behind him as he walked into the bathroom.

Hutch turned on the water, adjusting it to a comfortable temperature and put down the stopper so the tub could fill. He found a bottle of bubble bath that one of Starsky's girlfriends had left behind and poured a generous amount in the water. Starsky giggled at the sight of the frothy bubbles that immediately surfaced.

"Okay, get undressed and take your bath." Hutch said, "I'll check on you in a little bit. I'll be right in the other room if you need anything." He left the brunet alone in the bathroom, closing the door quietly behind him as he exited the room.

Twenty minutes later, Hutch went to check on his partner and was annoyed to find water all over the bathroom floor while Starsky sat in the tub, happily slapping his hands in the bubbles. "Starsky!" Hutch said, in an exasperated voice. "Why did you make such a mess?"

Starsky stopped splashing and looked at Hutch solemnly. "What mess?" He asked innocently. "And why did you call me by my last name? My name is Davey."

"I'm sorry…Davey." Hutch amended, trying to remain calm. "I guess I must have been thinking about something else. Are you done?"

"I guess so." Starsky said, raising his hands and looking at his fingers. "I'm wrinkled enough." He stood up and climbed out of the tub, dripping even more water on the floor. Hutch grabbed a towel from the rack beside the sink and tossed it at him. "Dry off and then clean up this mess. I laid out your pajamas. They're on the bed." He left the bathroom, leaving Starsky to finish. "And don't forget to brush your teeth!" He called out as an afterthought on his way out the door.

A few minutes later, a nude Starsky strolled out of the bathroom. As he sat down on the bed, he looked down at the dark curls on his torso and groin, "Gee…I don't remember having any hair down there. Pop said I'd get some down there just like him when I got older but I don't remember having any."

"Uh…why don't you put on your pajamas?" Hutch suggested, deftly changing the subject before he had to explain to an adult Starsky that he had already gone through puberty.

"Okay." Starsky said, standing up and beginning to pull on the pair of navy blue pajama bottoms that Hutch had laid out on the bed. When he had finished, he crawled under the top sheet and looked at Hutch thoughtfully "Is this your house?"

"No, ..uh…it belongs to a friend of mine." Hutch said, thinking fast. "He gone for a few days too."

"I like it here. He's got some neat stuff." Starsky said, as he settled down on the bed. He looked at Hutch again, a hint of fear in his eyes. "I've never had to sleep by myself before. Nicky always sleeps with me…and Ma always keeps a light on in the hall cause I don't like the dark much."

"Do you want me to lay down with you until you fall asleep?" Hutch asked quietly. It wouldn't be the first time the two friends had shared the same bed, just not under these circumstances.

Starsky nodded solemnly and scooted over. "Will you tell me a story too? Pop always tells us a story before we go to sleep."

Hutch smiled as he settled down on the bed beside Starsky. He wasn't sure he even knew any bedtime stories. His parents had left his care to a succession of nannies or housekeepers and they had never had time to read him bedtime stories. "What would you like to hear? What kind of stories does your Pop tell you?"

"He tells us stories about being a cop." Starsky said sleepily. He curled up against Hutch's side and rested his curly head on the blond's broad shoulder. It was a simple gesture displaying the innocence of a trusting child.

Hutch smiled. Somehow the answer made sense. No wonder Starsky grew up wanting to follow in his father's footsteps. In a soft, soothing voice, Hutch began to tell Starsky a story about one of their more comical arrests. As he talked, the sound of his voice slowly lulled the brunet to sleep. When the sound of Starsky's breathing deepened and evened out, Hutch carefully eased himself out of the bed. He smiled down at his slumbering partner. Starsky had always resembled a little boy worn out from a hard day at play when he was sleeping. And, this time, that's exactly what he was.

Hutch left the bedroom, closing the door partway behind him and shutting off the light. He went into the living room to make his own bed on the sofa. Before turning in for the night, he picked up the phone and called Captain Dobey at home.

"Hello?" The Captain's gruff voice barked over the phone.

"Hey, Cap. It's me."

"How's your partner?" Dobey asked with a chuckle, imagining the problems that Hutch was encountering dealing with a six year old Starsky. "Is he driving you crazy yet?"

"It's not that much different than dealing with Starsky any other day." Hutch replied with a laugh. "I finally got him to go to bed after he made a mess in the bathroom."

"Welcome to the joys of fatherhood." Dobey teased him good naturedly. "Cal's almost fifteen and he still makes a mess in the bathroom. Rosie's the neat one." His tone turned serious "Does the doctor have any idea how long he's going to be like this?"

"No, he said it could be a couple of days or a couple of weeks. It all depends on how soon the swelling goes down. I asked Huggy to come over and watch him tomorrow so I can testify at the Morstien trial." Hutch said, referring to the trial they had been scheduled to testify at on the morning of Starsky's accident. The judge had postponed the case for four days and had been informed that due to Starsky's accident, only Hutch would be testifying tomorrow.

"That should be interesting. Does Huggy know what he's getting himself into?"

"If he doesn't, he'll find out soon enough." Hutch stifled a yawn. "I'll see you tomorrow, Cap. I'm beat. I'm going to bed."

"Get your rest. You're going to need it now that you're a father." Dobey quipped. His rumble of laughter echoed in Hutch's ear as he hung up the phone.

Hutch lay down on the sofa and closed his eyes but, despite his weariness, sleep was a long time coming. Hutch had always wondered what it would be like to be a father. His ex-wife, Vanessa, had made it clear when they got married that she didn't intend to have children. She was too vain and didn't have the temperament to be a mother. When they were divorced, three years later, Hutch was glad that they'd never had children of their own. It would have been just one more thing Vanessa could use against him. So, instead, he had channeled his parental instincts into helping kids by becoming a big brother to a thirteen year old Latino boy named Kiko. But, being a surrogate father to a teenage Kiko was totally different than dealing with a six-year-old mind in the body of a thirty-four year old man.

Hutch had just dozed off when he felt someone tugging at his sleeve. Opening his eyes, he found Starsky standing beside the couch, staring down at him. He had found, Ollie, the white teddy bear that had belonged to his deceased fiancé and was clutching it tightly in his arms.

"What's the matter, buddy?" He asked in an alarmed voice. For a moment he was afraid that Ollie had triggered some unpleasant memories for the traumatized brunet but Starsky's words soon put his mind at ease.

"It's dark and I'm scared. Can I sleep here with you?"

"There's not enough room on the couch." Hutch told him, swinging his long legs over the edge of the sofa as he sat up. "Come on, I'll tuck you in."

"Okay." Starsky said, in a small voice, still clutching the teddy bear tightly to his chest. "I like your teddy bear. Can he sleep with me too?"

"Sure he can, pal. Anytime." Hutch told him fondly, as he rose to his feet and threw his arm around Starsky's shoulders to guide him back into the bedroom. "His name is Ollie and he used to belong to a very special lady named Terry."

The names didn't appear to mean anything to Starsky but he did seem comforted by Ollie. He raised the bear to his face, gently brushing the soft white fur against his cheek. "Hi, Ollie." He whispered, "I like you. You can be my friend just like Uncle Hutch."

Hutch fought to hold back the tears that gathered in his eyes at his friend's words. Innocent words that made him long for his friend's return to normal. He helped Starsky get settled back in bed, stretching out beside him. Starsky curled up on his side with Ollie cradled in his arms and closed his eyes. Within minutes, both men were sleeping soundly.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Huggy watched as Starsky finished his second bowl of cereal, tipping up the bowl to drink the milk, slurping loudly. An adult Starsky acting like a six year old was definitely an experience he wouldn't forget. Huggy and the brunet had been friends since high school, so Huggy had witnessed that childlike side of Starsky in the past but never to this extreme.

After breakfast, Starsky wandered into the living and turned on the TV. Finding some cartoons, he happily sat on the floor in front of the TV, engrossed in the colorful characters on the screen.

"Don't sit so close to the screen." Huggy told him, repeating an age old warning he'd heard from his own mother. "You'll hurt your eyes."

Starsky looked at him and squinted his eyes. "My eyes don't hurt so I'm not too close." He said with the logic of a child as he returned his attention to the screen. Huggy chuckled as he began to straighten up the kitchen. A six year old Starsky didn't seem to care about being neat as much as the adult Starsky did.

"How would you like to go and pick out a birthday present for Captain Dobey's little girl?" Huggy said, "She's having a party this weekend and I happen to know that you're invited."

"A birthday party?" Starsky said, his eyes lightening up with pleasure. "Neato. Can I get a toy too? There's nothing here to play with."

"Sure, why not?" Huggy said with a grin. "Get your jacket and let's go." Starsky looked around the room, confused, until Huggy said, "There's one over there in the closet I bet will fit."

"Okay." Starsky bounced to his feet and opened the closet door. He grabbed Starsky's newest jacket, a black leather one that had cost the brunet half a week's salary. "I like this one." He said in a pleased voice. "It's soft and it smells good." He stuck his arms into the sleeves, then stopped and looked at Huggy in alarm. "I don't got no money. I can't get no toy."

"That's okay," Huggy consoled him. "I've got enough money for Rosie's present and to get you something too." He smiled, curious as to what kind of toy Starsky would pick out for himself. Starsky grinned happily as the two men walked out to Huggy's car, a light blue Cadillac.

"Wow! This is a neat car." Starsky exclaimed, running his hand over the shiny waxed surface of the hood. "I want a car like this when I get big except mine is going to be red.."

"You like red, huh?" Huggy said, with a chuckle, picturing Starsky's distinctive**ly** Torino with it's custom paint job in his mind.

"Yeah. It's my favorite color…I like blue too. But, red is a better color for a car."

"I think you're right. A bright, shiny red car would suit you better." As they climbed into his car, he glanced at the brunet and said, "Fasten your seatbelt."

"I know, I know." Starsky said, "You sound just like my Pop and Hutch. Why do I have to wear a seatbelt anyway?"

"So you won't get hurt if we get into an accident." Huggy said, smiling sadly at the irony. If Starsky had been wearing his seatbelt during his accident, he probably wouldn't have been thrown into the windshield. Unfortunately, it was simpler for the two detectives not to wear their seatbelts when they were on duty in case they had to bail out of the car in a hurry to chase someone on foot.

"Was I in an accident?" Starsky asked, absently rubbing the side of his head where he still had a large, painful bump. "Is that how I hurt my head?"

"Yes." Huggy said, without elaborating. Hutch had already warned him that Starsky might start remembering bits and pieces of the accident and if he did, not to try and push him into remembering too much too soon. Starsky fell into a thoughtful silence, staring out the window as Huggy drove to a nearby toy store.

There's a lot of truth to the line about a kid in a candy store, or a toy store in this particular case. As soon as they stepped inside, Starsky's eyes got wide and he began running down the aisles, picking up the different toys on display and playing with them. Huggy sauntered along behind him, chuckling at the brunet's playful behavior. He tossed a ball in the air and then picked up a toy airplane, pretending to be flying it. Leaving the brunet to watch a model train set on display, Huggy took his time picking out a doll that he was sure Rosie Dobey would like. Huggy glared at some of the other customers who were watching Starsky's antics with arched eyebrows and a snicker here and there. Most of them had the decency to quickly turn away to avoid the black man's wrath.

When Huggy returned to collect Starsky, the brunet declared firmly "I want a train set." Although the train set cost more than Huggy had planned on spending, he went ahead and bought it when he saw how much it meant to Starsky. Now he knew why Hutch had trouble saying no to the winsome brunet when he really had his heart set on something. Starsky waited impatiently while Huggy had Rosie's present wrapped, then they gathered up their purchases and went home.

Huggy helped Starsky set up the train set on the living room floor and it kept him entertained until Hutch got home. Hutch grinned when he walked in and saw Starsky playing with his new toy. He looked at Huggy and said softly, "I see he's got you twisted around his little finger too."

"Hey, it's hard to say no when he gives you that puppy dog look." Huggy said in his own defense.

"Tell me about it." Hutch said with a chuckle. "Thanks for watching him."

"No, problem. I got Rosie's present too. It's in the hall closet on the top shelf."

"Thanks. What do I owe you?"

"Forget about it. My treat. Now I've got something to hold over Curly's head when he starts razing me about my fashionable taste in clothes."

Hutch laughed as Huggy let himself out of the apartment. Turning his attention to the engrossed brunet, he said, "Hey, Davey…" remembering to use the childhood nickname instead of the more familiar habit of calling the brunet by his last name. "How about I order us a pizza for supper?"

"With everything?" Starsky asked, looking up at Hutch with a crooked smile that melted the big blond's heart.

"For you…with everything." Hutch agreed, even though he usually complained about all the additional toppings. "And if you're a good boy, you can have a root beer with it."

"No real beer?" Starsky said with a sly smile.

"No, you're too young to drink."

"Pop lets me have a sip of his beer sometimes."

"Well…maybe a sip." Hutch amended, realizing that the brunet had conned him yet again. He began to see that Starsky had learned at an early age how to get his way.

He ordered their food and then sat down on the sofa to watch Starsky play with his new train set until it arrived.

Both men ate with gusto and, as a special treat, Hutch let Starsky have half a glass of beer with his pizza. Afterwards, Starsky willingly helped to clean up and carefully put his train set away until morning. Then they sat on the sofa to watch a movie together until bedtime. Since it was one of the old horror flicks that Starsky loved, it held the brunet's attention.

"My Pop takes me and Nicky to the movies every Saturday if he doesn't have to work." Starsky said during a commercial break. "Will you take me to the movies Saturday?"

"That's Rosie's birthday party." Hutch told him, "Wouldn't you rather go to that?"

"Oh, yeah! I forgot about that! Huggy got her a present today when we got my train." Starsky said enthusiastically.

"I know. He told me."

"Is there going to be cake and ice cream?"

"Of course."

'Good…then I'll go…even if it is a party for a girl."

Hutch laughed at the way Starsky said _girl_, as if it were a bad word. He wondered how old Starsky was before that attitude changed. Starsky had admitted to having sex for the first time when he was thirteen so he couldn't have been that old.

After the movie, Hutch stood up and stretched to work the kinks out of his back. "Time for bed, pal. Go take your bath while I straighten up in here. And don't make a mess this time."

"Do I have to?" Starsky whined .

"Yes, you have to. Now scoot." The blond told him as he picked up the remains of their supper to throw in the trash.

"Can I have a snack before I go to bed?"

"How about some cookies and a glass of milk?" Hutch suggested. In a stern voice, he added, "After you take your bath." He hid a smile when Starsky muttered something unintelligible under his breath as he trudged towards the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, he went to check on Starsky and found him standing in front of the bathroom mirror, diligently brushing his teeth. There was only a little water on the floor this time and most of it came from the dripping brunet.

"Rinse your mouth and dry off." Hutch said, as he handed Starsky a fresh towel from the shelf in the closet. "You can't go to bed with a wet head."

Starsky turned on the water and bent his head to fill his mouth with water directly from the faucet. He spit it out in the sink and then wiped his mouth with the towel before using it to dry his wet curls. Taking care of Starsky was proving to be a challenge and Hutch desperately yearned for his old partner's return.

"Will you tell me another story?" Starsky asked as they went back into the bedroom where Hutch handed him a pair of pajama bottoms.

"If you want." Hutch said. "And I'll leave the bathroom light on tonight so it won't be so dark in case you wake up again. How's that?"

"Okay. Ma has a nightlight in our room at home cause Nicky doesn't like the dark. He cries cause he gets scared."

"And you don't?" Hutch said with an affectionate smile.

"Naw, I'm a big boy. Big boys aren't supposed to be scared of the dark."

"Sometimes, everybody gets scared."

"Even you?" Starsky asked, his eyes growing large at the idea of an adult being scared of anything.

"Even me." Hutch admitted, remembering how scared he had been when Captain Dobey had called to tell him that Starsky had been in an accident. Hutch's biggest fear was of losing his partner and best friend to the job someday. It was a grim reality that every man who wore a badge had to learn to live with. But, Hutch knew that if he ever lost Starsky, he would lose the best part of himself.

Starsky grabbed Ollie from his spot on the pillow and cradled the toy in his arms as he rested his head on Hutch's shoulder. Like the night before, Hutch told him stories until the brunet fell asleep. It was obvious that the unique bond and trust that the two men shared was still intact, in spite of Starsky's current condition. It was that bond and trust that allowed Starsky to sleep the whole night without waking up.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER FIVE**

The next day, Hutch took Starsky with him while he ran some errands. After accompanying the big blond to the bank, the Laundromat, and the gas station, Starsky was getting bored and cranky. Only the promise of a stop at his favorite taco stand cajoled the brunet into accompanying Hutch on one more errand to pick up some gun oil and supplies to clean his service revolver.

While Hutch was inside the gun shop making his purchase, unnoticed by the big blond, Starsky slipped outside and was loitering on the sidewalk, watching the street people that populated the neighborhood. A hooker dressed in a low cut blouse that barely covered her cleavage and a skimpy skirt strolled up to the handsome brunet.

"Hi, honey. You look lonesome. Wanna have some fun?" She drawled, sizing up the lean, well built brunet with a practiced eye. She figured him for a quick blow job and an easy twenty bucks in her pocket.

"Sure. What kind of fun? You wanna go play?" Starsky asked innocently, his befuddled mind not realizing what she was suggesting.

"Sure, Sugar. Twenty bucks and we can play all you want." She said, hooking her arm through his. "There's a nice dark alley just around the corner."

"I don't like the dark…" Starsky said, suddenly feeling uncomfortable but not sure why. "And I don't have twenty bucks. You'll have to ask Hutch. He's got all the money."

"Hey, what is this? You trying to shine me on?" The woman demanded, seeing what she had thought would be an easy mark slipping through her fingers.

"No…I…" Starsky stammered, suddenly at a loss for words, not sure what he had done to make the woman mad at him.

He was rescued by Hutch's timely arrival. "What's going on here?" The blond demanded, taking hold of Starsky's arm protectively as he glared at the hooker.

"Your friend here tried to stiff me." The woman declared.

"She asked me to play with her!" Starsky said defensively, looking at Hutch anxiously. "But, she wanted me to give her twenty whole dollars and go with her to a dark alley."

""What's with him?" The hooker sneered, looking at Starsky oddly. "Is he retarded or something?"

"Get out of here, lady." Hutch ordered, pulling his badge out of his pocket and flashing it at her. "Before I run you in for solicitation."

"What's the matter, Blondie? You keeping him all to yourself?" The woman said in a mocking tone. "You gonna take the retard home with you and fuck him?"

"Get out of here!" Hutch said loudly. "And I'll forget you said that!"

The woman's laughter filled the air as she turned and strolled away, shaking her ass to attract business. As she disappeared around the corner, Starsky looked at Hutch with tears welling up in his eyes and said, "Why did she call me a retard? That's not a nice word. My ma said so."

"You're right. It's not a nice word." Hutch agreed, "And you aren't one."

"What did I do to make her mad at me?"

"Nothing, pal. Just a misunderstanding." Hutch said. He knew that this was no time to try and explain the facts of life to Starsky. "But, don't wander away from me like that again when we go out, okay?"

"Okay." Starsky said somberly. The two men began to walk down the street towards Hutch's car. Starsky was quiet and subdued, positive that he had done something bad. "Are you gonna spank me when we get home?" He blurted out.

"What?" Hutch said, stopping and staring at his friend. "Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"Because I was bad. I didn't stay with you like I was supposed to." Starsky said, "And I made that lady mad."

"Believe me, pal…that was no lady and she'll get it over it." Reaching his car, he unlocked the door and jerked it open. "Now get in the car so we can go home."

"And fasten my seatbelt like a good boy." Starsky said with a lopsided smile.

"That's right." Hutch said, smiling back, his own good mood restored. He made a mental note to keep a closer eye on the brunet when they went out in public. He had to keep reminding himself that in his present condition, Starsky wasn't the tough, streetwise cop who could fend for himself that Hutch knew.

Worn out by their busy morning, Starsky soon fell asleep as Hutch made his way through the busy midtown traffic. Not wanting to wake him and not wanting to break his promise either, Hutch used the drive through at the taco stand and bought a big bag of goodies to take home with them for later. When they reached the apartment, a cranky Starsky climbed out of the car and went into the house, flopping down on the couch and burying his face in the pillow to finish his interrupted nap.

Hutch puttered around the apartment, doing some light housekeeping chores, while Starsky slept. He'd have to remember to ask Rachel, Starsky's mother, if he really was like this when he was that age. He'd called her and told her about Starsky's accident, assuring her that her eldest son was going to be okay and that his injures were not life threatening.

Normally, he would have respected Starsky's wishes and not told her anything unless the brunet's injuries were serious. But, given his present condition, there was no way to hide it from his perceptive mother. Starsky called her religiously every Friday night at seven o'clock and if he missed a call, she immediately called him, worried that something was wrong, unless he called her first to forewarn her that he was tied up on a case and wouldn't be able to make his usual call as expected. When she had learned the particulars of his head injury, she had laughed and told Hutch to give him plenty of love and not to forget to discipline if he needed it.

After finishing his chores, Hutch heated up the food from the taco stand and woke Starsky up so that he could eat. He watched, amused, as Starsky bolted down three large burritos loaded with everything followed by a root beer. At least there was nothing wrong with Starsky's usual appetite. Hutch envied Starsky for the way he could eat anything without worrying about his weight. He seemed to maintain his lean, muscular build with little effort, while Hutch had to fight to keep off the extra pounds. And, in spite of his favored junk food diet, Starsky was in excellent health.

After they had eaten, Hutch suggested that they walk to the nearby beach. One of the nice things about living in Bay City was the miles of shoreline that bordered the city with secluded, private beaches, one of them within easy walking distance of Starsky's apartment. The two men changed into cut off jeans and tank tops for their stroll in the sun.

When they reached the quiet stretch of beach, there were a few beach bunnies frolicking in the sand, laughing as they tossed a beach ball back and forth. One of them noticed the two handsome men and smiled seductively, looking disappointed when Hutch ignored them and kept walking with Starsky by his side.

"Fucking queers." She said just loud enough for Hutch to hear her as they passed by. "What a waste."

As they walked on down the beach, Starsky looked back at the women who had returned to their game and said, "Hutch, what's a queer? Joey Santino back home said the old guy that lived down the street was one and that I'd better stay away from him because he liked little boys like me."

"Never mind, buddy. You aren't one and neither am I." Hutch said a bit more sharply than he intended to. For years rumors had floated around headquarters about the two men being more than 'just friends' because of their unique bond and close relationship. Starsky was the one who usually blew them off, while Hutch was the one who usually took offense, mainly because his own father had accused him of being a homosexual simply because he liked music, painting and cooking. It didn't seem to matter that he also liked sports, boxing and running track. But the tables had been turned when the two partners had had to go to a gay bar while investigating the murder of a fellow police officer, there it had been Starsky that got hit on the most.

They took off their shoes as they walked through the sand, enjoying the feeling of the warm granules between their toes. They walked to the ocean's edge and spent **a **several minutes wading in the warm, salty water. Finally, Hutch decided it was time to head for home.

"Do we have to go?" Starsky whined, "Can't we stay just a little bit longer?"

"It'll be dark soon." Hutch told him firmly. "And we have to get up early tomorrow for Rosie's birthday party."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot." Starsky said, the reminder of the upcoming party enough to restore his good humor. As they put on their shoes for the walk home, he said, "Can I have some cookies and ice cream before I go to bed?"

"How about some popcorn instead?" Hutch suggested, "I'll even put lots of butter on it, just the way you like it."

"Okay…but I get a root beer too." Starsky said, pouting at substituting popcorn for cookies and ice cream but willing to compromise.

After eating the promised snack and taking his bath, it was time for another bedtime story before bed. Hutch turned in himself after Starsky fell asleep and was soon sleeping soundly. He was jarred awake by terrified screams coming from the bedroom. Jumping to his feet, he hurried into the room to find Starsky sitting up in bed, clutching Ollie tightly to his chest, and sobbing heavily.

"What is it, buddy?" Hutch asked, immediately sinking down on the bed beside his obviously distraught partner and pulling him into the shelter of his embrace.

"I had a bad dream…" Starsky hiccupped through his tears. "I dreamed that Pop got shot and there was blood…a lot of blood."

"Shhhh…" Hutch soothed him gently; realizing that the brunet's tortured mind must have remembered his father's murder and relived the event in his nightmare. "It's okay now. I got ya."

"Can I call Pop?" Starsky whimpered, "To make sure he's okay?"

"Not right now, pal. It's too late and besides…there's no phone where they are right now." Hutch told him to distract him from both his request and his lingering fear for his father's safety. "It was just a dream…that's all." Hutch hated lying to Starsky but, in his present condition, he didn't need to know that his father had been dead for over twenty years. In his mind, his father was still alive and it was best if he stayed that began to quietly sing one of Starsky's favorite songs in his clear, strong voice. Soon the brunet calmed down and drifted back to sleep. Hutch stayed with him. If he woke up again, Hutch didn't want him to wake up alone and scared, especially if he had any more bad dreams.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER SIX**

Seven year old Rosie Dobey squealed in delight when she saw her two 'adopted' uncles walk into the room. She immediately threw herself at Hutch and hugged his neck tightly, giving him a big kiss on his cheek. "Hi, Uncle Ken." She said. She squirmed out of his arms to reach for her other favorite uncle.

Starsky looked nervous and unsure of himself but he let her jump into his arms and hug him just like she had done Hutch.

"Hi, Uncle Dave. I'm so glad you could come!" She said brightly. She had been told that her 'Uncle Dave' had been in an accident but was feeling better.

To save Starsky any further embarrassment from the excited child, Hutch held out the brightly wrapped package he had been hiding behind his back. "Happy Birthday, Rosie Posie." He said, using the two detective's pet name for the precocious child.

"Mommie, Mommie!" Rosie yelled, as she grabbed the gift and ran towards the back deck where the rest of her presents were stacked on the picnic table. "Uncle Ken and Uncle Dave are here and they brought me a big present!"

As the little whirlwind raced out of sight, Starsky self consciously rubbed at his cheek where she had kissed him. Hutch chuckled to himself as he thought how unlike that gesture was for the flirtatious brunet. Starsky had a reputation around headquarters for flirting with any woman he saw, no matter how young or old she was. The sweet little grandmotherly types were especially fond of the cocky brunet, not to mention the sweet young things fresh out of the academy. He'd even had more than one adolescent that had developed a crush on the ruggedly handsome brunet with the crooked smile. And children, like Rosie Dobey, seemed to adore him. Maybe it was because the adult Starsky still had so much kid inside of him.

"I want some ice cream and cake." Starsky hissed as the two men walked towards the back yard where they could hear the laughter and squealing of children.

"Later." Hutch admonished him. "Remember, you promised to be good."

Starsky's eyes lit up when he saw the brightly wrapped presents sitting on the picnic table, carefully guarded by Captain Dobey himself. Hutch saw a flicker of disappointment in those sapphire eyes because none of the presents were for him. Edith Dobey, an attractive woman with light brown skin, came up to greet them. She appeared to be much younger than her husband even though they were actually the same age. "I'm so glad you were able to make it." Edith said, directing her comment to Hutch. "Rosie was so afraid you wouldn't be able to come because of David's accident."

"Are you kidding?" Hutch told her with a grin, "Starsky wouldn't miss a chance to eat ice cream and cake."

"I like chocolate the best." Starsky volunteered

"So does Rosie." Edith told him with a fond smile. "So you're in luck because that's what kind we're having."

"Can I have some now?"

"Later, buddy." Hutch reminded him affectionately, patting him on the shoulder. "Why don't you go say hello to the Captain?"

Starsky hesitated uncertainly, but then he did as Hutch suggested. Shuffling his feet, he walked over to the picnic table and said shyly,

"Hello…"

"Hello, son." Dobey said with a warm smile "I'm glad you could make it. How are you feeling?"

Starsky cocked his head to one side and seemed to be thinking over his answer. Finally, he said, "Okay…but I miss mom and my pop. I wanna go home…"

"I'm sure they miss you too." Dobey said, choosing his words carefully.

"That's the present me and Hutch brought…" Starsky said, pointing out the brightly wrapped package sitting beside the Captain. "It's for Rosie."

"I'm sure she'll like it." Dobey said

"Huggy picked it out…but I helped." Starsky said proudly. "And I got me a new train. It's neat. Would you like to come over and play with it?"

"Maybe some other time…" The burly black man said with a smirk. "I'm pretty busy at work."

"Can I go play now?" Starsky asked, distracted by a group of children playing nearby.

"Of course you can," Dobey told him "Go ahead and enjoy yourself."

As Starsky wandered over to the children playing a party game with Rosie, Hutch sat down at the picnic table beside his commanding officer. "I never knew how exhausting it was to take care of someone who thinks he's six years old." He said

"Welcome to parenthood." Dobey told him with a laugh. "It doesn't get any easier as they grow up either…you just worry more."

"I worry about him enough as it is." Hutch admitted, stealing a fond glance at his partner. Hutch watched Starsky's smile as he played with the children. He fit in so well, that none of the children seemed to think it was strange that a grown man was playing their game with them. Hutch had no doubt that Starsky would make a fantastic father someday to his own children. He hoped that Starsky found the right lady and got to live out that dream. "There are a lot of things that he remembers without even realizing it." Hutch told him. "Like where to put things in the kitchen and what time his favorite shows come on…things like that."

"Well, you'll just have to be patient. I'm sure things will turn out all right."

"Yeah, I'm sure they will." Hutch said wistfully.

When Edith announced that it was time for Rosie to open her presents, Captain Dobey and Hutch quickly moved out of the way as the excited children crowded around the table to see what Rosie had gotten from each guest. Starsky instinctively moved closer to Hutch's side and stayed there. He clapped his hands in excitement when Rosie picked up the gift they had brought. "That's our present, Hutch!" He exclaimed. "Hey, Rosie!" The impetuous brunet yelled, "That's from Hutch and me." Unable to contain himself, he blurted out, "It's a doll. A pretty one with hair just like yours!" The other adults laughed at Starsky's blunder causing the brunet to look at Hutch in puzzlement. "Did I do something wrong?" He asked.

"No, buddy…nothing at all." Hutch assured him.

"Can I go play with the other kids some more?"

"Go ahead, just don't play too rough. Remember, you're bigger than they are."

"I won't. I play rough with Nicky but that's different. He's my brother. You're allowed to play rough with your brother." Starsky yelled over his shoulder as he hurried away to join in the fun.

The party wound down as Edith and Captain Dobey served the ice cream and cake. Shortly after that, parents began to arrive to pick up their children and take them home. Rosie, her pretty face flushed with joy, tugged at Hutch's sleeve and said, "Uncle Ken, are you Uncle Dave going to stay for a while? You don't have to go yet, do you?"

"We can stay for a little while." Hutch told her with a smile, kneeling down so that he was on her level as he talked to her. "But then we have to go so Uncle Dave can go home and take a nap. I think you wore him out."

Rosie giggled at the thought of wearing out her Uncle Dave and skipped over to the table where Starsky was eating his second bowl of ice cream. While the three adults went inside for a cup of coffee and to relax, Starsky and Rosie sat at the table examining all of her gifts.

"You sure got some neat stuff." Starsky said, "For a girl that is. Did I tell you that I got a new train?"

"Can I come over and play with it some time?" Rosie asked.

"Sure. You'll have to ask your mom and dad first and I'll have to ask Hutch if it's okay." If Rosie thought there was anything strange about Starsky saying that he had to ask Hutch's permission to have Rosie come over, the little girl didn't mention it. She found a checker board amongst her presents and set it up. It was one game that Starsky could play without his current limitations being noticeable.

It was late afternoon when Hutch told Starsky that it was time to go home. They said their goodbyes and left the Dobey's home. As they pulled out of the driveway, Starsky waved a final goodbye to Rosie and then said to Hutch, "I like Rosie. She's okay for a girl. And I think she likes me too."

"I know she does, pal." Hutch told him. "You're one of her favorite uncles, remember?"

"How can I be her uncle? We're not related." Starsky said in a puzzled voice. "We don't even look the same. I'm white and she's black." Once more, the simple innocence of a child's logic showed through in his statement.

"She calls you Uncle Dave because she wants to." Hutch tried to explain so that Starsky would understand. "It means she likes you a lot."

"I like her too. A lot." Starsky declared with a happy smile on his face. "So it's okay if she calls me Uncle Dave…even if I'm not really her uncle."

"I'm glad we got that settled." Hutch said with a chuckle. At least Starsky hadn't asked any more pointed questions that put Hutch on the spot.

When they got back to the apartment, Hutch settled down to read the newspaper while Starsky got out his new train set and set it up on the living room floor. Soon, he was playing happily and making train sounds as he watched the train race around the track. The ringing of the telephone claimed Hutch's attention. He grabbed the receiver and said, "Hello?"

"Ken? It's Rachel." Starsky's mothers voice said on the other end of the line. "I was just calling to see how David was doing. Is he any better?"

"Uh…not exactly. He's still pretty much the same. Right now he playing with his new train set."

"I can just see him now," Rachel said with chuckle. "He always loved trains. He was heartbroken when he left home and couldn't take the set Michael had bought him with him on the bus. Could I talk to him?"

"Sure." Hutch glanced at his curly haired partner and said, "Hey, buddy…your mom's on the phone."

Starsky's eyes lit up with delight and he jumped to his feet, grabbing the phone from Hutch's hand. "Hi, Ma." He said, "I got a new train set and it's really neat. Huggy bought it for me."

"Good. Are you having a good time with Ken?"

"Yes…but when can I come home? I miss you."

"I know you do, baby. Soon, I promise."

"I had a bad dream last night. I dreamed that Pop got hurt. Is he there? Can I talk to him?" Starsky asked hopefully.

"No, honey…he's not here right now." Rachel said, doing her best to hold back her tears. Even after twenty years, she still missed her husband dearly. To hear her eldest son ask about his father as if he were still alive hurt terribly. "That must have been a really scary dream."

"It was. I was crying but Hutch was here so I'm okay now."

"Yes, and I know he's taking good care of you for me." Rachel said.

"He is, but I wanna come home." Starsky whined, tears welling up in his eyes.

"I know. Let me talk to Ken again."

"She wants to talk to you again." Starsky said with a pout, handing the phone back to Hutch.

"Ken?" Rachel said.

"I'm here."

"It's so hard to hear him talk about Michael as if he were still alive." Rachel said, her voice cracking emotionally. "Do you think that the dream means he's starting to remember?"

"I think so…at least, I hope that's what it means."

"He must be a handful. I know he was when he really was that age." Rachel said, changing the subject to a less painful topic. "Always asking questions, always wandering off to explore."

"He still does." Hutch told her with a chuckle. He glanced at Starsky who had gone back to playing with his train. "And he really hates to take a bath and get ready for bed."

"Oh, yes…I know." Rachel said, with a laugh. "I hope you're using lots of bubbles. That's the only way I could ever get him to take one without a fuss…at least until he decided he liked girls…"

Hutch laughed heartily. "Right now the only girl he knows is Rosie Dobey and he's decided that she's okay…for a girl."

"I know you're taking good care of him. Just don't let him have his way all the time." Rachel's voice turned serious, "Call me if there's any chance. I love talking to him anytime but I do miss being able to have a normal conversation with him."

"So do I. And I'll call as soon as there's anything to tell you." Hutch promised. He hung up the phone and settled back in his chair to watch Starsky at play. He missed the adult Starsky too and hoped that he would have him back soon.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

The next day, Starsky woke up in a cranky mood that seemed to get worse as the day wore on. He didn't want to eat breakfast, he didn't want to watch TV, and he didn't want to play with his new train. No matter what Hutch suggested, Starsky said he didn't want to do it. All he seemed to want to do was whine and be disagreeable.

"I'm bored. It's no fun here." Starsky complained for the umpteenth time since he'd gotten up that morning. "There's nothing to do."

"Well, what do you want to do?" Hutch asked, his patience wearing thin. He had already suggested reading a book, coloring, and going to the beach but nothing seemed to interest the brunet.

"Can I drive your car?" Starsky asked in a hopeful tone as if he really expected Hutch to agree. Hutch knew that the adult Starsky was an excellent driver, one of the best on the force, but, at the moment, that was a skill Hutch didn't think that he was capable of performing.

"No." Hutch said firmly.

"Can I hold your gun?" He asked, picking an even more farfetched idea.

"No."

"You're mean." Starsky said with a pout. "I don't like you anymore." He stood up from where he'd been sitting on the floor and went into the bedroom, stomping his feet loudly and slamming the door so hard that it rattled the pictures on the wall. A few minutes later, Hutch heard a thumping sound against the wall that separated the bedroom from the living room. Opening the bedroom door, he found Starsky lying on his back on the floor, kicking his feet against the wall.

"You need to stop that right now." Hutch scolded him. "You're scuffing up the wall."

"So? Go away and leave me alone." Starsky grumbled sullenly.

"Not until you stop kicking the wall." Hutch repeated sternly.

Glaring at Hutch angrily, Starsky stopped kicking the wall and turned around so that he could kick the nightstand instead. When he did, the lamp on the stand crashed to the floor and shattered. Without thinking about his actions, Hutch grabbed Starsky**'s** by the arm and pulled him to his feet, delivering a solid swat with the palm of his hand across the seat of the brunet's jeans. Starsky squealed in a combination of shock and outrage. Jerking his arm away from Hutch, he turned to face the big blond and said,

"You can't spank me! You're not my Pop!"

"No, I'm not, but I am going to spank you if you keep acting like a spoilt brat!" Hutch threatened, his patience worn thin from the brunet's antics all morning. "You can stay in your room until you're ready to behave!"

Something hit the door with a solid thud as Hutch pulled it shut behind him. He walked into the kitchen to get some coffee to give himself time to calm down. If Starsky wanted to throw a temper tantrum and act like a brat, then Hutch was going to treat him like one. The only problem was how to reinforce the punishment when the person you're punishing is as almost as big as you are? Mentally, Starsky might be acting like a spoiled child but, physically, he was still an adult male who was just as strong as Hutch was.

Hutch fixed some sandwiches for lunch and then knocked lightly on the bedroom door. "Davey, I made some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Do you want one?"

"No." Starsky's sullen, disagreeable voice said through the bedroom door. "Go away! I don't like you anymore! I wanna go home!"

"You are home, pal…" Hutch said under his breath, "You just don't know it."

He turned and went back into the kitchen to eat his own lunch. He knew that, eventually, Starsky's stomach would force him out of the bedroom. Going without food for any long periods of time contributed to the brunet's irritability and foul mood. With his high metabolism, Starsky needed almost constant refueling to maintain his high energy level.

Finally, Hutch heard the bedroom door creak open and a still sulking Starsky crept into the room. Without a word, he grabbed two of the leftover sandwiches from the table and wolfed them down. Glaring at Hutch, he demanded, "I wanna go to the toy store."

"Not today, pal." Hutch said, "It's Sunday. They're closed."

"Don't care!" Starsky said, stomping his foot. "I wanna go! Now!"

"We can't. I told you they're closed today."

"I wanna go! I wanna go!" Starsky yelled, throwing himself down on the floor, kicking and screaming, like a toddler in a full blown tantrum. Tears ran down the brunet's cheeks and his face turned red as he gave way to his anger and frustration. Finally, Hutch had had enough. He grabbed a flailing arm and pulled the brunet to his feet, delivering three solid swats to his squirming backside. Starsky stopped screaming and looked at Hutch in shock. "You hit me!" He said in an accusing tone, his face still slightly flushed.

"And I'll do it again if you don't stop it!" Hutch declared, "You've been acting like a brat all morning!"

"I wanna go home. Why can't I go home?" Starsky whimpered, his eyes flooding with unshed tears. Instinctively, Hutch reached out and grabbed the distraught brunet, pulling him close and stroking his soft curls as Starsky rested his head against Hutch's shoulder, calming and soothing him.

"I know you do, buddy." Hutch whispered, "I know you do. Soon…I promise."

Starsky pulled away from Hutch and stalked back into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Hutch sighed softly as he stared at the closed door. He was as frustrated as Starsky at the current circumstances. He wanted his friend back. They were both hurting and trying to make the best out of a bad situation. It had been almost a week and there seemed to be little change in Starsky's condition.

After two hours with no noise from the bedroom, Hutch quietly opened the door to check on Starsky, expecting to find him asleep on the bed. He was stunned and frightened to find the room empty. The bedroom window was open with the screen leaning against the wall. It was obvious that Starsky had snuck out of the house and was somewhere in the neighborhood, roaming the streets by himself. In his present condition, he was an easy target for trouble. Rushing to the phone, Hutch quickly dialed Caption Dobey at home. When the burly, black man answered, the blond blurted out,

"Starsky ran away! I need help finding him before he gets into trouble."

"Slow down," Dobey said calmly, "What do you mean he ran away?"

"He's been acting like a brat all day." Hutch explained. "I finally had to spank him. He went into the bedroom and crawled out the window. I don't know how long he's been out there alone!"

Dobey chuckled softly at the thought of the tender hearted blond spanking his best friend for throwing a temper tantrum. "He couldn't have gotten too far." Dobey said, remaining calm. Hutch was upset enough for both of them. "You start looking for him and I'll call the station and put out an alert. If anyone spots him, I'll tell them to contact you instead of approaching him directly."

"Thanks, Cap." Hutch said, hanging up the phone and digging his keys out of his pocket as he hurried out the door to search for his runaway friend.

For the next three hours, Hutch drove around the neighborhood and adjacent streets without spotting the brunet. He stopped a few times to ask neighbors out walking or doing work in their yards if they had seen Starsky but nobody had. Hutch knew the brunet couldn't have gone too far on foot and he didn't have any money on him for a cab. Still, Hutch was worried about Starsky being out there alone. The two men had made too many enemies over the years for Starsky to be wandering around the streets by himself. In his present condition, he wouldn't recognize a threat until it was too late. And there was the very real danger of a predator seeing Starsky and taking advantage of him once he realized the brunet's current mental status.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Starsky was huddled behind the dumpster in a garbage strewn alley, trying to stay out of sight. When he had crawled out of his bedroom window and walked away from the apartment, he had been determined to find his way back home to New York but had ended up lost. Now he was cold, tired and frightened. He had found his way downtown but had quickly became disoriented and confused by the noise and strangers on the street. He had found his hiding place and sat down to wait for Hutch find him, covering his ears with his hands to block out the noise from the street.

Unable to see him from the street, Hutch had passed his hiding spot three times without realizing it in his frantic search. Finally, he had parked his car and got out to continue his search on foot, stopping passers by to show them Starsky's picture and ask if anyone had seen him. He knew that he had to find Starsky soon. He had already been missing for over eight hours.

Starsky was huddled in his hiding spot, trying hard not to cry, when he heard a welcome, familiar voice calling his name. "Hutch?" He whispered almost breathlessly. He listened until he heard the sound of his name again, then he yelled "HUTCHHHH…"

Within seconds, the big blond was kneeling in front of him and pulling Starsky into the warmth of his comforting embrace. Safe now, Starsky let the tears fall as he threw his arms around Hutch's neck and buried his face against his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry…" He whimpered, "I'll be good. I won't run away again."

"Shhh…" Hutch soothed him gently, his anger at Starsky's actions dissolving now that he had found the missing brunet safe and sound. "Come on, let's go home." He helped Starsky to his feet and slipped an arm around his waist as he led him out of the alley and back to his car. Starsky held on to the blond desperately, afraid to let go now that he had been rescued.

Settling him down in the front seat, Hutch crossed around to the other side and got into the car. Glancing at his still sniffling partner, he said, "You wanna stop at McDonalds on the way home?"

Starsky nodded shyly and said in a muffled voice, "Am I in trouble? Are you going to whip me again for being bad?"

"No, I think you've been punished enough. Don't you?" Hutch told him with a fond smile.

Starsky nodded solemnly and smiled through his tears. The look of absolute trust in those familiar, sapphire eyes swept over Hutch in a wave of emotion that threatened to overwhelm him. The love that he felt for the man sitting beside him was strong and true, a pure love unlike any he had ever known before in his life, at least until he met the feisty brunet who had broken through all of his barriers with one crooked smile.

After a quick stop at the popular fast food restaurant, Hutch drove back to Starsky's apartment and they went inside. While Starsky slouched on the sofa to enjoy his food, Hutch went into the bathroom to answer the call of nature. As the big blond turned to leave the bathroom, his feet got tangled in the rug in front of the tub and he pitched forward, hitting his head on the edge of the sink as he fell.

"Hutch?" Starsky called out when he heard the thud from the bathroom. When Hutch didn't answer, the brunet stood up and looked at the closed bathroom door apprehensively. Crossing the room, he timidly knocked on the door and said, "Hutch, are you okay?" When Hutch still didn't answer, Starsky started to open the door but something heavy seemed to be in the way, preventing it from opening all the way. Peering in through the crack in the door, Starsky saw Hutch lying on the bathroom floor, unconscious, a deep gash in his forehead bleeding profusely. "HUTCH!" He yelled, shoving desperately at the door which was partially blocked by Hutch's body.

Finally managing to get the door open, Starsky fell to his knees beside his friend and reached out to pat the pale face. The sight of the blood rapidly pooling beneath the blond head terrified him. There was so much of it and it kept coming. Starsky wanted to cry in frustration, not sure what to do, but knowing that he had to get help. Bouncing to his feet, he hurried back into the living room and grabbed the phone, dialing the phone number he knew by heart. Home.

His mother's calming voice answered on the first ring. "Ma," he cried out hysterically "Hutch fell and hurt himself and he's bleeding! What should I do?" Starsky blurted out.

Rachel Starsky replied calmly, giving her son the same instructions she would have given him if he really was six-years-old, "Davey, I want you to calm down and do exactly what I tell you to."

"Okay…"

"Hang up the phone and then get a towel and hold it against wherever Hutch hurt himself. Hold it tight, that will help stop the bleeding. As soon as you hang up, I'll call that nice Captain Dobey and have him send someone there to help you. Can you do that for me?"

"Yes…" Starsky said, a bit hesitantly, but trusting his mother's wisdom.

"Good boy. Now hang up the phone so I can call Captain Dobey for you."

Starsky did as he was told and ran back into the bathroom to help Hutch. He pulled down one of the thick white towels on the rack beside the sink and pressed it against Hutch's forehead, holding it tightly with both hands as his mother had instructed.

"Please be okay, Hutch. Don't die…" he whispered. Starsky swayed unsteadily, a blinding pain cutting through his head at the sight of the blood on the floor. He fought against the darkness that tried to pull him down into it's comforting embrace. He had to help Hutch until somebody else got there to take over.

Fifteen minutes later, Captain Dobey and two paramedics burst through the front door. The burly black man swallowed back the lump in his throat at the image of Starsky sitting on the bathroom floor with Hutch's head cradled in his lap, holding a blood soaked towel against the big blond's forehead. Starsky looked up beseechingly, his eyes wild and filled with fear. In a tiny voice, he begged, "Please…help him."

"Well, don't just stand there!" Dobey told the paramedics gruffly, "Take care of him now!"

The paramedics sprang into action. A quick examination revealed that while the gash on Hutch's forehead was deep and he had lost a lot of blood, it was not life threatening. He probably had a concussion and would have one hell of a headache when he woke up but he should be okay as soon as he got medical attention.

Captain Dobey helped a badly shaken and terrified Starsky to his feet, slipping a protective arm around his waist as they watched the paramedics tend to Hutch.

"Is he gonna die like my Pop did?" Starsky whimpered, seemingly unaware that he had spoken about his father in the past tense and acknowledged that he was dead.

"No, son. You did just what you should have done. You took care of him until help got here. Thanks to you, he's going to be okay." Dobey reassured him. "We'll follow the ambulance to the hospital and then you can see him after the doctors take care of him."

"Okay," Starsky said meekly. After the paramedics had loaded Hutch onto a portable stretcher, Dobey and Starsky followed them out of the apartment. Starsky climbed into the Captain's car and fastened his seat belt, his eyes still wide with fear, as the burly black man crawled into the front seat and turned on the ignition.

When they reached the hospital, they had to wait while the doctors examined Hutch and accessed his injury. Starsky sat quietly beside the Captain while the black man filled out the necessary paperwork for Hutch's treatment, a task that under normal circumstances would have fallen to Starsky.

"I was bad." Starsky said in a small voice after the Captain had completed the paperwork and turned it back in at the admitting desk. "He got hurt because I ran away."

"That's not true. It was an accident." Dobey told him, "You can't blame yourself for an accident."

"But, I was still a bad boy for running away."

"Yes, it was bad to run away and scare everybody like that. You could have gotten hurt out there by yourself." Dobey agreed.

"I just wanted to go home." Starsky said, tears welling up in his eyes. "I miss my Mom and Pop."

"I know you do." Dobey slipped his arms around the younger man's shoulders. Secretly, he considered both Starsky and Hutch to be his 'adopted' sons and he cared deeply for both of them. Not only were they his best team of detectives, they were also part of his family.

The doctor finally came out and told them that Hutch would be okay but he would have to stay in the hospital for a couple of days as a precaution. Although, he was heavily sedated, the doctor allowed the Captain and Starsky to see him for a few minutes. Starsky smiled broadly, obviously relieved, when he saw for himself that Hutch was okay. Even in his current condition, the bond between the two friends was as strong as ever.

"You can come home with me until Hutch gets out of the hospital." Dobey told Starsky.

"Why can't I stay here with Hutch?" Starsky demanded, turning trouble eyes to his commanding officer. "He might be scared if he wakes up and I'm not here. I don't want to scare him again."

Dobey hid a smile at the familiar words. The adult Starsky would never leave Starsky's side when he was hurt and that bond was still as strong as ever. Still, at the moment, Starsky needed someone to take care of him too.

"It's okay. I'll tell the nurses to let him know that you're with me." Dobey reassured him. "And we can call later to see how he's doing. If he's awake, you can talk to him. How's that?"

"Okay." Starsky said quietly, bowing his head. He still felt guilty about Hutch getting hurt even though he knew it was an accident. His childlike state was clearly emphasized by his agreeing to go with Dobey so easy, leaving the big blond behind.

Silently, he followed the Captain out of the hospital. In his heart, the brunet felt like he should be staying at Hutch's side no matter what anybody said but he wasn't quite sure exactly why he felt that way.

When they reached the Dobey home, little Rosie immediately threw her arms around Starsky and held on tight. She was delighted that one of her favorite 'uncles' was going to be staying overnight. Starsky didn't object when the precocious child took his hand and led him off to her room to play with her new toys.

Edith Dobey came out of the kitchen and looked at her weary husband. "At least Hutch found him and they're both going to be okay." She said "Why don't you come and help me finish supper? I'm making your favorite. Fried chicken."

"With mashed potatoes and gravy?" He asked hopefully, as he playfully swatted his wife on the backside.

"Of course." Edith said, laughing at her husband's good-natured teasing, "Would I forget something that important?" As they disappeared into the kitchen, she looked at her husband solemnly and said, "Is David really all right? That must have been pretty traumatic for him under the circumstances."

"He was pretty shook up but he came through it okay. I think he's starting to remember some things. He asked me if Hutch was going to die like his Pop did."

"That's terrible." Edith stated , "He's so confused right now…I'm glad you brought him home with you until Hutch gets out of the hospital."

"Well, I couldn't just leave him there. He still needs somebody to watch him until he's himself again."

"Well, I think Rosie has decided to take on that job." Edith said with a chuckle. "She was so excited when I told her that he was going to be staying with us for a couple of days."

"Did you tell her about Hutch?"

"Just that he hurt his head too and that he had to stay in the hospital for a while."

"Well, it looks like Rosie has a new playmate for the next couple of days." Dobey said, with a chuckle, as he began to set the table for supper.

!


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER NINE**

Starsky fairly bounced with excitement as he waited for Hutch to finish dressing. The blond had been given a clean bill of health that morning and was being released from the hospital.

"Were you good for Captain Dobey and Edith?" Hutch asked, as he carefully pulled on his boots and then glanced around to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything.

"Yep," Starsky declared,"I played with Rosie and she taught me a bunch of neat new games. We had fun but I missed you."

"I missed you too, buddy. You ready to go home?"

"Yes!" Starsky said happily, trotting after Hutch as he grabbed the bag with the few items that he was taking home with him.

Hutch had to smile at the brunet's exuberance and energy. He loved the childish innocence that made up a significant part of his partner's complex personality, but he missed the adult Starsky terribly. There were subtle signs that he was starting to remember his past but there had been no dramatic breakthrough yet. It had been almost two weeks and the brunet's agile mind was still stuck in early childhood.

As Hutch began the drive back to Starsky's, the brunet stared out the window, deep in thought. Finally, he turned to Hutch and said, "Hutch, what's wrong with me?"

"What do you mean, buddy?" Hutch asked cautiously, stealing a glance at Starsky, who had a confused and bewildered expression on his face.

"Ma and Pop aren't coming after me anytime soon, are they?"

"What makes you think that?"

"Pop's dead, isn't he?" Starsky whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. "I don't know how I know that…I just do."

"Yes, he's dead." Hutch admitted, deciding to be truthful with his friend. "He has been for a long time."

"And I'm not really a little boy, am I?"

"No, you're not. You're thirty-four years old."

"Jeeze…that's old." Starsky declared, his forehead creasing into a frown. "What's wrong with me?" He repeated forlornly.

"You were in a car accident." Hutch told him quietly. "You hit your head on the windshield."

"Am I going to get better?"

"Yes, you're already starting to remember things."

"Is that why my head hurts sometimes?"

Hutch stole a quick glance at his partner. "Why didn't you tell me your head was bothering you?"

"Didn't wanna…" Starsky defended himself. "Then you got hurt and I got scared. I thought it was my fault for being bad."

"It wasn't your fault. It was a stupid accident." Hutch reassured him. "You know how clumsy I am sometimes."

"Yeah, you're a real klutz." Starsky agreed, with a lopsided grin. Starsky frowned again and added, "That keeps happening…I remember things like that but don't know why I remember them. It's like it's all confused inside my head."

"You've always been a little confused, Gordo." Hutch said with a happy grin "That's normal for you." Hutch was pleased to note that Starsky seemed to be alternating between acting normal and still behaving like a child. It had to be a good sign. It had to mean he was starting to recovery from his head injury. All it was going to take was a little more time and he'd have his old friend back.

When they got back to Starsky's apartment, the brunet slowly walked through the rooms, looking at familiar pictures and pieces of pottery he'd bought in Mexico. As he trailed his fingers over a picture of him and Hutch clowning around for the camera, he said, "Huggy took this picture two years ago, just before I met Terry."

"That's right, buddy." Hutch said, watching the expressions that played over Starsky's face as he struggled to reclaim his lost memories.

"And you gave me this…" he said, pausing in front of a simple charcoal sketch of Starsky that Hutch had done for the brunet's birthday one year.

"That's right."

Starsky turned to look at Hutch, a shy smile on his face. "I remember you, Hutch." He said in an awe struck voice. "I remember you."

Ecstatic, Hutch grabbed his friend and gave him a heartfelt hug. "Thank God," the big blond said happily. "No offense, but I really missed you, Gordo."

"But there's a lot of stuff I still don't remember…"

"You will, buddy. You will. Don't try to rush it." Hutch gave his partner a sly smile and added, "But, I have to admit, I'm gonna miss watching you playing in the tub and telling you bedtime stories."

A deep sadness crept into the brunet's face as he sat down on the sofa with a heavy sigh. "This sucks." Starsky said, momentarily sounding so much like himself and not a child that Hutch felt a lump in his throat. He sat down on the sofa beside his friend and slipped an arm around his shoulders. Instinctively, Starsky leaned against him and rested his head against the big blond. The two friends sat there for several minutes in a comfortable silence, lost in their own thoughts.

Over the next few days, Starsky's memories returned at an amazing rate. Within a week, he was back to being himself. Hutch had enough things to tease Starsky about for months but he was relieved that things were finally back to normal.


End file.
